Unite against dementia and show you care

Dementia Action Week is our opportunity to show we care about people with dementia, and this year it is 21-27 May.

In the UK, one person develops dementia every three minutes and almost everyone knows someone whose life has been affected. Yet too many people with dementia feel excluded and like they are facing the disease alone.

Going to the shops, travelling or carrying on with social activities becomes impossible when people around you do not know how to interact or how the small things they can do will help.

Alzheimer’s Society has heard some truly heart-breaking stories about people with dementia who feel completely cut off from their friends, family and community.

All it would take for these people is a friend taking the time to invite them out, or sharing a joke with someone in a café, or people being patient with someone who needs a bit of extra time at the supermarket till.

Small actions that make a big difference is the theme of this year’s Dementia Action Week because, if we all do our bit, then we can make our communities more welcoming to people with dementia.

So what can you do?

Alzheimer’s Society asked people with dementia what actions would make the most difference to them, and this is the list they came up with:

• Talk to me. Don’t be worried about talking to me. I’m still me.
  
• Listen to me. Take time to listen and involve me in the conversations. I can still teach you a thing or two.
  
• Include me. Keep in inviting me out. Friends still mean the world to me.
  
• Ask if I need help. If I seem confused, ask if I need help. These little things help me stay independent.
  
• Be patient. Be patient with me and I’ll show you how I can still do things. It just might take me longer than it used to.
  
• Ask me about my dementia. Don’t be afraid to ask me questions. When you take the time to understand my dementia, I know there’s someone on my side.
  
• Help my carer too. Support my partner and others who care for me. My dementia affects them too.

Rutland Admiral Nurse Service

Admiral Nurse Information will be available in all GP practices throughout Dementia Action Week, along with information and advice to support reducing your risk of developing dementia.

Information of forthcoming dementia clinics available at Oakham, Uppingham, Empingham and Market Overton Surgeries will also be available.

What is an Admiral Nurse?

Admiral Nurses provide the specialist dementia support that families need. When things get challenging or difficult, our nurses work alongside the entire family, giving them one-to-one support, expert guidance and practical solutions.

The unique dementia expertise and experience an Admiral Nurse brings is a lifeline – it helps families to live more positively with dementia in the present, and to face the challenges of tomorrow with more confidence and less fear.

To contact the Admiral Nurse Service in Rutland please call: 01572 758 341 or: 01572 758 220.